Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. was pulled from Tuesday night’s game against the Kansas City Royals after experiencing ‘right Achilles tightness,’ the team said.
He will be going on the 10-day injured list, according to reporters on the scene. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reported that Acuna was wearing a walking boot and that he ‘held back tears’ while talking with reporters after the game.
Acuna told reporters he will likely have an MRI on Wednesday.
The right fielder was lifted during the bottom of the sixth inning at Kauffman Stadium, shortly after he appeared to be hampered trying to get to a pair of balls hit in the air. The latter play resulted in a ground-rule double for Vinnie Pasquantino that moved the Royals’ advantage to 9-3.
Eli White came in to replace Acuna, who lightly jogged off the field.
Acuna, the 2023 NL MVP, entered Wednesday’s game batting .309 on the season with a .430 on-base percentage, both the best marks on the Braves. He has appeared in 54 games.
The Royals held on for a 9-6 win to improve to 53-55. The Braves fell to 45-61.
(This story has been updated with new information.)
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